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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §30.1.26.pr-30.1.26.2

Loss of Specific Bequest and Options in Share Legacies

Passage 4622 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

This chunk discusses the calculation of a legacy after deducting fulfillment expenses, the legatee's position when a specific thing perishes without the heir's fault, and the option between shares of the things and their valuation in a partial bequest.

[POMPONIUS libro quinto ad Sabinum. ] §30.1.26.prNon amplius legatorum nomine ad quemquam pertinere uidetur quam quod deducto eo, quod explendae condicionis causa datum esset, superesset.
[POMPONIUS, Book 5 of Commentary on Sabinus.] No more is deemed to belong to anyone under the name of a legacy than what remains after deducting that which was given for the purpose of fulfilling a condition.
§30.1.26.1Si certum corpus heres dare damnatus sit nec fecerit, quo minus ibi ubi id esset traderet, si id postea sine dolo et culpa heredis perierit, deterior fit legatarii condicio.
If the heir is condemned to give a certain specific thing, and he has done nothing to prevent himself from delivering it at the place where it was, if that thing afterwards perishes without the malice or negligence of the heir, the condition of the legatee becomes worse.
§30.1.26.2Cum bonorum parte legata dubium sit, utrum rerum partes an aestimatio debeatur, Sabinus quidem et Cassius aestimationem, Proculus et Nerua rerum partes esse legatas existimauerunt.
When a part of property is bequeathed, and it is doubtful whether shares of the things or their valuation is owed, Sabinus and Cassius indeed thought that the valuation, and Proculus and Nerva that the shares of the things were bequeathed.
sed oportet heredi succurri, ut ipse eligat, siue rerum partes siue aestimationem dare maluerit.
But the heir ought to be relieved, so that he himself may choose whether he prefers to give the shares of the things or the valuation.
in his tamen rebus partem dare heres conceditur, quae sine damno diuidi possunt: sin autem uel naturaliter indiuisae sint uel sine damno diuisio earum fieri non potest, aestimatio ab herede omnimodo praestanda est.
Nevertheless, the heir is permitted to give a share in those things which can be divided without loss; but if they are either naturally indivisible or their division cannot be made without loss, the valuation must by all means be paid by the heir.

Notes

  1. 30.1.26.prdeducto eo — An ablative absolute construction where the demonstrative pronoun `eo` functions substantively and is modified by the relative clause `quod ... datum esset`.
  2. 30.1.26.1quo minus — A subjunctive clause introduced after the negative expression `nec fecerit` (he did nothing to prevent). It indicates that the heir did not himself obstruct the delivery at the place of performance (`ibi ubi id esset`).
  3. 30.1.26.2conceditur — The passive of `concedere` is used in a personal construction with the subject `heres` and the infinitive `partem dare`, meaning 'the heir is permitted to give a share.' This is equivalent to the impersonal construction `heredi conceditur`.

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §30.1.26.pr-30.1.26.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:30.1.26.pr-30.1.26.2

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